The present invention relates to the use of stucco-reveal strips in building construction. More specifically, the present invention relates to a stucco-reveal strip that includes contoured walls for improved installation, maintenance and aesthetics.
Stucco reveal accessories are used on stucco surfaces to provide an architectural relief. For example, stucco reveal products are often used to divide a normally plain stucco surface of large dimensions into a grid of smaller sections. Unlike brick, block, glass block or shingles, the stucco is applied homogeneously across entire building walls. Although stucco is often applied in a small repeating pattern, this pattern is not normally visible from a distance. Thus, the stucco appears to the passerby to be a plain wall of a single color which lacks aesthetic appeal.
One prior art stucco reveal product is in the form of an extruded strip. The extruded strip includes a pair of straight walls with a flat backing that are integrally formed by an extrusion process. The flat backing includes a series of holes through which fasteners can be driven for attachment to a subsurface such as wood, brick or cinder block. The straight wall structure runs the length of the extruded strip and is at right angles to the flat backing, thereby forming a straight-walled channel. The exterior surfaces of the channel walls include a bead which becomes embedded in the stucco as it is applied. This serves to strengthen the interface between the stucco and the exterior surface of the stucco reveal strip.
Installation of the stucco reveal strip is generally straightforward, requiring a worker to nail, screw, or staple the strip to a subsurface material. Intersections between strips are joined by cutting mitered joints or using a pre-assembled connection system. See, U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,866, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference. The strips are applied by placing the pre-assembled joints at desired locations and then interconnecting the joints with sections of the stucco reveal strip. Once the stucco reveal strip is attached to the subsurface, the stucco itself is spread on the subsurface in coats within the grid defined by the stucco reveal strips and other stucco accessories such as casing beads, corner beads and expansion joints. The stucco is applied within the grid up to the wall structure of the stucco reveal strip, covering the bead on the outer surface of the wall structure. The top of the reveal structure serves as a screed to assure proper thickness and a level surface for the applied stucco.
Conventional channel designs may require cleaning. As outdoor wall surfaces get dirty, they must be cleaned to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the architecture. With conventional stucco reveal strips that are placed horizontally, the lower of the channel walls creates a horizontal shelf that can collect dirty rainwater. Over time, the strip can thus become soiled and unsightly. Typically, cleaning is performed using a power-washer that sprays a combination of water and cleansing agent on the stucco wall and stucco reveal strip. The straight walls of the stucco reveal strip require the close attention of the sprayer. Failure to spray the reveal strip from a sharp angle (so that the spray hits the inside surface of the walls head-on) will reduce cleaning effectiveness. Spraying from a sharp angle is difficult as the power-washer gun is heavy, attached to hoses and a power cord and must be used from a distance.
Cleaning the conventional stucco reveal strip by hand is also problematic. Wiping heavy dirt and grease from a strip requires significant time and effort because of the awkward angle required to access the inside surfaces of the straight walls. This awkward angle makes it difficult to apply pressure on the inside surfaces with a sponge or brush. As with rainwater, runoff from the cleaning process tends to stay within the channel formed by the straight walls. Instead of cleaning, this merely redistributes much of the dirt to other surfaces in the stucco reveal strip. Also, caulking at the joints of a reveal structure can deteriorate and leak. Water that stays on the bottom ledge of the reveal can leak into the wall cavity through these joints. Thus, an improved wall shape is needed that stays cleaner in normal environmental conditions and that also reduces the effort of cleaning the stucco reveal strip.
The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a reveal strip for stucco reveal panels or other wall materials such as gypsum boards, in which the reveal strip has a number of features yielding functional as well as aesthetic benefits. The reveal strip includes a pair of contoured walls spaced across a floor that defines a smooth, attractive channel surface. The contoured walls are angled away from each other and extend outwards, allowing the stucco to be applied underneath the walls for a firm attachment to a structural base. The reveal strips are integrally formed of extruded material for easy assembly and improved leak resistance. The integral construction also provides smooth channel surfaces for improved appearance of the reveal strip.
In one embodiment, the reveal strip comprises an elongate strip of material. The elongate strip of material preferably is manufactured by extrusion so as to have a constant cross-section. The elongate strip defines a channel and a pair of fixation flanges. The channel includes a floor and a pair of spaced walls that define a plurality of inner surfaces of the channel. The floor integrally connects the spaced walls and the pair of spaced walls extend generally away from each other in a laterally outward direction. Extending laterally outwards from, and fixed to, the channel are the pair of fixation flanges. The fixation flanges are configured so as to be embeddable in adjacent stucco portions of the structure. Embedding of the fixation flanges into the stucco conceals all but the inner surfaces of the channel walls and floor which define the visual breaks between the stucco reveal portions of the structure. Preferably, but not necessarily, the floor and flanges collectively form a continuous substantially planar base that is mounted on the substructure of a building wall.
In an embodiment useful for defining breaks between gypsum boards, each flange is fixed to a respective one of the spaced walls and extends laterally outwards from the wall. The flanges are fixed to the adjacent gypsum boards by taping and mud application. Alternatively, the flanges may be attached to a bottom portion of the respective one of the spaced walls and extend outwards from the bottom portion. Such positioning of the fixation flanges allows them to be attached to a substructure with fasteners and sealed under the applied stucco. Optionally, the flanges may define a plurality of fixation holes that are configured to receive fasteners for easier attachment.
The outwardly extending walls of the channel can have various forms. For instance, the walls may have an arc contour, or may be substantially planar and angled away from each other, or may be partially beveled having upper angled portions extending away from each other. The contoured shape of the outwardly extending walls allows stucco to be applied up to, and under, the walls. A bead strip may be attached to a top edge of each of the contoured walls and may extend downwards from each of the contoured walls.
The present invention has several advantages. The outwardly extending, contoured walls provide an anchor for the applied stucco. Water retention in the channel is less likely due to its contoured inner surfaces, which also makes cleaning of the channel much easier. The use of an extruded strip with a constant cross-section means that joints and the attendant risk of leaks are minimized in constructing the stucco reveal grid. The bead extending downwards from each of the walls further strengthens the attachment of stucco to the strip and prevents water leakage between the strip and stucco. The fixation flanges are positioned for easy attachment of the reveal to the base structure. Especially useful are the plurality of fixation holes defined by the fixation flanges that receive fasteners for a firm attachment of the reveal strip to the base.